MY REVIEW:
I was a little skeptical about this book when I realized it was a Regency romance, however I didn’t have to read very far before I learned that “A Necessary Deception” would far exceed my usual expectations for this category. Although the author included some necessary descriptions of clothing, homes, society events, etc. to define her setting, far more valuable space was used to communicate the actual plot.
Lady Lydia Gale is an independent widow who has sworn off men after her experiences with an overbearing father and husband who discouraged her love of painting. Her self-reliance has also distanced her from God who she also suspects wants to control her. When she is blackmailed and tries to protect her family, she soon finds everything spinning out of her control and has no idea who she can trust. Even her new friend and self-appointed protector Christien de Meuse is suspect. Can Lydia trust her own heart that wants to love Christien and can she finally learn to turn her problems over to the Lord?
“A Necessary Deception”was filled with suspense almost from beginning to end. There was so much going on that I was just as puzzled as Lydia and Christien as to who might be behind the sinister plot. It was only as I neared the end of the book that I suddenly had an idea of who had to be the mastermind of everything that had happened. Plenty of action, romance, and interesting characters made the story a delight to read. I look forward to the next installment of this series.
“A Necessary Deception” is a must read for those who love Regency romance but I also recommend it to those who love a good historical mystery.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Who Can a Lady Really Trust?
A young widow, a mysterious Frenchman, and the threat of blackmail keep readers guessing in this Regency romance
Laurie Alice Eakes captures the hearts of her readers once again by weaving intrigue, suspense, and romance together in her new novel, A Necessary Deception, set during the Regency time period.
When young widow Lady Lydia Gale helps a French prisoner obtain parole, she never expected doing so would put her family in jeopardy. But that’s just what happens when a shadowy figure corners her during an evening stroll and blackmails her with the threat of treason.
She returns to her family just as the London Season is getting underway, and is shocked when the French prisoner appears in her parlor calling himself by a new name, Christien de Meuse, and carrying a letter from the shadowy man.
While she should be helping her younger sisters, bookish Cassandra, who’s about to get married, and headstrong Honore, who’s about to enter into London society, Lydia can’t help being preoccupied with the mysterious Frenchman. Nor can she deny her attraction to him. Is he a spy or a suitor? Can he be trusted? Is she putting her family in danger or sparing them from harm?
With an eye for detail and in-depth knowledge of the period, Laurie Alice Eakes brings alive the drawing rooms of London’s elite .
(ISBN: 978-0-8007-3466-4, $14.99, October, 352 pages)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laurie Alice Eakes is also the author of Lady in the Mist and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats.
